Key Steps to the Athletic Recruiting Process

This article first appeared on GoLocalPDX.com on June 10, 2015.

Article by Kathy Smith Connor

Athletic talent can provide wonderful opportunities and open many doors for student/athletes in the college search process. While it can present unique advantages, it also poses its own set of challenges. 

The athletic recruiting process must be approached in a realistic and systematic manner. A good understanding of the NCAA recruiting rules and how to conduct a proactive and healthy recruitment campaign are key to an athlete’s success, not only in making a well-suited team roster but in obtaining the best scholarship possible.

Your first step is to find the right college fit for your academic and social needs. You are a student first and must develop the foresight and vision to understand that while playing your sport in college is an important highlight of your college years, your education is a lifetime tool. Student/athletes who do both their academic and athletic homework, followed by a proactive approach to recruiting, have the most success in getting college coaches to consider them for admission, as well as making a team roster with athletic funding. 

Here are a few guidelines to a successful approach to the athletic recruiting process. 

Be Realistic About Your Level of Play

If you are an athlete that wants to play your sport at the collegiate level, you must talk with your coaches about your ability. Ask them for an honest and realistic assessment of your prospects in collegiate athletics. At which level (Division I, II, III, or NAIA) does he or she believe you can compete?

If you participate in a timed sport, there are various websites and other tools you can look at to determine in which conference you would be most competitive, which is generally what coaches want in order to provide you with athletic scholarship funding.

Use this information as a guideline for targeting schools at which you can realistically compete in your sport.

Create a Realistic College List

Create a balanced preliminary list of schools that incorporates academic interests and abilities, social needs and athletic ability. This list should be driven from answers to questions including:

• Could I realistically get accepted and thrive at this school based on my academic record?” 
• “Do I like the campus, its students, its location, etc?”
• Can I play/compete at this level in both its Conference and Division?”
• Is the college affordable taking into account any potential academic and athletic funding I receive?”

Assertively Work to be Recruited

Often, athletes expect coaches to come knocking on their door. This is unlikely unless you are competing at a national level - which most athletes are not. 

It is important to understand the “rules of the recruiting game” in order to maximize your chances of playing – and receiving athletic money –at your preferred colleges. This takes time, effort and good communication to make sure coaches know you and want to recruit you. Many universities have very limited recruiting budgets and therefore, if you can proactively get noticed and make it onto a coach’s “list” (the earlier, the better), it makes it easier for everyone. And it increases your likelihood of being brought onto the team and receiving athletic funding. 

Key Steps to the Athletic Recruiting Process

1. Proactive Contact: Assertive communication is the key to success

The majority of athletes who want to participate in collegiate athletics need to be very proactive in searching out and pursuing all possible opportunities. There is no magic formula that can guarantee selection to a college sports program. 

Fill out the school’s recruiting questionnaire to get on their mailing list; write to the coaches and introduce yourself with a letter and athletic resume (filled with GPA and SAT/ACT scores and sports accomplishments) and explain why you think their school is for you; let them know any tournaments, showcases or meets you will competing in and ask them to come watch you; follow up with any new best times, achievements and stay in touch.

2. Get Seen: It’s all about exposure!

Especially for subjective (non-timed) sports, a very important aspect of recruiting is being seen and getting exposure on a fairly regular basis. 

For sports such as soccer, you will need to be on a club or high school team that gives you maximum exposure to college showcases, tournaments and camp opportunities. This is where college coaches will have the best chance of seeing your athlete in action. A note of caution – very rarely is an athlete first noticed from a college showcase. Coaches attend college showcases to watch and evaluate athletes that are already on their list. It is very important to have communicated with coaches prior to showcases so they know you are interested in being evaluated.

3. Understand all NCAA rules and regulations

NCAA policies govern how coaches can recruit college-bound student/athletes. The rules specify when and how coaches can contact prospects, what materials can be sent and when student-athletes can visit campus. The rules differ slightly from sport to sport and Division to Division. It is critical that student/athletes understand these rules so as not to jeopardize their eligibility.

The student/athlete must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center for compliance approval. The Center also administers the National Letter of Intent program as well as the Amateurism Eligibility and Certification. Details can be found in The Guide for the College-Bound Student/Athlete which contains detailed information about academic and amateurism eligibility.

Being involved in athletics can be a tremendous benefit to students regardless of whether a student receives a scholarship. The life-skills and lessons learned along the way are priceless and will aid the student/athlete in any future endeavor. A young person contemplating college attendance should use high school for legitimate academic preparation then do their college “best-fit” homework and athletic homework to find just the right place.